--- title: "Kathleen Shaeffer Design, Exterior Spaces — Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers | Houzz" canonical_html_url: https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-architects-and-landscape-designers/kathleen-shaeffer-design-exterior-spaces-pfvwus-pf~2013348503 markdown_url: https://www.houzz.com/md/professionals/pf~2013348503.md entity_type: LocalBusiness business_name: "Kathleen Shaeffer Design, Exterior Spaces" category: ["Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers"] image: https://st.hzcdn.com/fimgs/b9c324cf0d93ac51_3537-w400-h400-b0-p0--.jpg address: "Santa Cruz, California 95060, United States" phone: "(831) 423-7849" website: http://kathleenshaefferdesign.com rating: 5 review_count: 10 best_of_houzz_awards: 1 followers: 424 last_updated: 2026-08-14 --- # Kathleen Shaeffer Design, Exterior Spaces Original Houzz profile: [Kathleen Shaeffer Design, Exterior Spaces](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-architects-and-landscape-designers/kathleen-shaeffer-design-exterior-spaces-pfvwus-pf~2013348503) ## Professional summary - **Primary category:** Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers - **Location:** Santa Cruz, CA - **Serves:** San Jose, Redwood City, Palo Alto, Santa Cruz, Gilroy, Menlo Park, Los Gatos, Monterey, Scotts Valley, Soquel, Capitola, Ben Lomond, Aptos, Opal Cliffs, Boulder Creek, Felton, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Bonny Doon, Brookdale, Pasatiempo, Davenport, Twin Lakes, Bay Area, Carmel - **Houzz rating:** 5.0 out of 5 (10 reviews) - **Best of Houzz:** 1 award (2014), for Service. ## About ### Houzz Badges - Star Houzzer - Houzz Influencer - Recommended on Houzz - 10,000 Ideabook Saves I am a landscape designer living in Santa Cruz, California. I have designed residential gardens and exterior spaces throughout the Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Francisco bay areas since 1991. ### Services Provided - Landscape Design - Garden Design - Landscape Plans - Patio Design - Swimming Pool Design - Design Consultation - Deck Design ### Areas Served - San Jose - Redwood City - Palo Alto - Santa Cruz - Gilroy - Menlo Park - Los Gatos - Monterey - Scotts Valley - Soquel - Capitola - Ben Lomond - Aptos - Opal Cliffs - Boulder Creek - Felton - Carmel-by-the-Sea - Bonny Doon - Brookdale - Pasatiempo - Davenport - Twin Lakes - Bay Area - Carmel ## Business Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Business Name | Kathleen Shaeffer Design, Exterior Spaces | | Address | Santa Cruz, California 95060, United States | | Phone | (831) 423-7849 | | Website | http://kathleenshaefferdesign.com | | Followers on Houzz | 424 | ## Contact - **Houzz profile:** [Kathleen Shaeffer Design, Exterior Spaces](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-architects-and-landscape-designers/kathleen-shaeffer-design-exterior-spaces-pfvwus-pf~2013348503) - **Website:** http://kathleenshaefferdesign.com - **Phone:** (831) 423-7849 ## Credentials **Certifications & Awards** - Certified member of Assoc. of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD) - Recipient of a Sunset Magazine Western Garden Design Award of Excellence - **Best of Houzz:** 1 award (2014), for Service. **Affiliations** - [Association of Professional Landscape Designers](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/professionals/schools-and-organizations/association-of-professional-landscape-designers-pfvwus-pf~92795973) ## Reviews **Overall rating: 5.0 out of 5 — 10 reviews** ### All 10 reviews **★★★★★ — dbalsam, Sept. 2013** > Kathleen approached my backyard landscape project with an open ear, open mind, and tons of creativity. She took the very basic concepts that I presented, and worked them into a functional, fun, and beautiful design. > > I found her easy to work with, and she always presented alternative ideas and found great solutions to any problems that came up. When it came time to recommend someone to install the landscape, she pointed me to an excellent person. > > Now that the project is done, I couldn't be happier with how it turned out. She transformed a bare yard into a beautiful, inviting place that I enjoy every day. I know it will only get more beautiful and private as the plants mature. I give Kathleen my highest rating, and would recommend her unreservedly to anyone looking for a real pro. **★★★★★ — User, Sept. 2013** > I first met Kathy after seeing one of her landscape plans. What I noticed was her plan didn't have that same generic design look that I had seen over and over. What was immediately apparent was the scale, her material choice and plant palette. They were well thought out and unique. I could see that it was going to be a great garden and I wanted to build it. > > That was over 15 years ago. Project after project, Kathy has produced absolutely beautiful gardens which have been a joy to install. Her clients come to the building process well informed, very enthusiastic and involved with the project. That's what makes a spectacular garden experience… teamwork. Kathy stays involved from the beginning to the end. Working with her energizes and inspires me to produce the best garden I can. She has a true gift and talent, and I love working and collaborating with her. **★★★★★ — pryland, Aug. 2013** > Kathleen designed my inner courtyard. She designed everything the fountain, the tile to color of the walls. She was a pleasure to work with, very professional. I love the result! **★★★★★ — donnafedor, Aug. 2013** > My experience with Kathleen in designing and implementing our garden was excellent. She had a great process for understanding our needs and desires and likes and dislikes early on, but also guided us gently to be open to new ideas. She is creative and thinks of the site and environment as part of the design. She gently challenged us to think out of the box all while maintaining a calm easy going demeanor. she is very knowledgeable about what fits well in a site throughout each season. I was not a fan of succulents before Kathleen opened my eyes to the many different varieties that fit my aesthetic. My courtyard garden is now stunning due to Kathleen's vision. She is also very open to new ideas...my husband was looking at her plans and threw out a few brainstorm ideas on changes to a wall/planter bed/seating and Kathleen combined his ideas beautifully. She also took great inputs from our landscaper/gardener on implementation. In addition, we had few challenging HOA guidelines that she was able to manage through and work around. There is no doubt that Kathleen designs and implements beautiful gardens...just look at the photos and the real life landscapes. But that she does it with grace and sustainability and thoughtfulness and caring and collaboration is what sets her apart. She is a gem to work with. **★★★★★ — mimiboyle, Aug. 2012** > Kathleen worked with me to design a beautiful garden several years ago. She is and was a thoughtful partner in this. She listened to our needs and desires and came up with a variety of suggestion for making this a workable and useable space. She produced beautiful drawings that guided the installation and she remained involved throughout the installation process. We reoriented our entire yard during this process keeping some of the plants that worked as the bones of the yard and adding many more that have made our yard the beautiful space that it is today. I have recommended her to many friends and I would definitely have her design future gardens. **★★★★★ — scoutland, Aug. 2012** > Kathleen Shaeffer has designed several landscaping projects for me over the years and we are currently working on a new plan. For the first project, my favorite, she drew beautiful plans showing how my backyard would be transformed into several lovely outdoor rooms. She designed two levels of flagstone patios - one an intimate dining area, and the other an inviting sitting area featuring an adobe fireplace of straw-bale construction. There is a reading nook under a hand-hewn arbor and a pocket lawn. Please check out the pictures on kathleenshaefferdesign.com under "Work" and "New Mexico Influence" to see my great garden. She hired skilled contractors and landscapers, met deadlines and budgets, chose wonderful plants, is eminently talented, and is a joy to work with. **★★★★★ — gweyhausen, June 2012** > We have had the pleasure of working with Kathleen Shaeffer Design on several occasions for large landscaping projects. > > Kathleen always takes the time to listen and understand our goals. She is very knowledgeable about plant materials (especially local plants), and thoughtful about working within our budget. Kathleen has designed some amazing outdoor spaces for us, and we continue to enjoy her work, years later. I highly recommend Kathleen Shaeffer Design. **★★★★★ — mrodriguezscruz, June 2012** > Kathleen designed a beautiful english garden for us several years ago. She really got our vision and needs, ensured the landscape contractor installed it to our wishes and followed up with us on its care. The garden and design really added tremendous value to the property and we really enjoyed it. She is the best! **★★★★★ — JAM Design Group, Jan. 2012** > I am an interior designer in Santa Cruz, California, and have experienced Kathleen's exterior designs first hand...they are simply inspiring. Kathleen treats the "outside" as an extension of the "inside" and achieves great beauty that is inviting and engaging. **★★★★★ — Business\_Name\_Placeholder, June 2011** > Kathleen is such a wonderful designer to work with. She met with us with a clear process of how we should proceed. She asked us great questions which we hadn't even considered. She also then presented us with a binder of wonderful inspiring ideas--for materials, furniture, lighting, and textures. > > Kathleen was also willing to work collaboratively, and clearly respected our aesthetic, so we we felt like the design really reflected our home as well. Kathleen was really able to bring out the best of what was possible. Her knowledge of plants, succulents, and her ability to create amazing textural compositions, really made the garden come together. > > When we bought our new home, our original garden was very different from what we wanted. Kathleen had the vision and creativity to see a very different exterior space, that came to very beautiful fruition. > > We are so happy with the results! As the garden has grown in, it just gets more beautiful! ## Selected projects - [La Selva Beach](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/la-selva-beach-pj-vj~3825948) - Location: La Selva Beach, CA - Photos: 25 - Description: This tiny, 700 sq. ft. house was originally built as a studio in the early 1960’s and completely remodeled by my client in 2015-16. I was contacted in late 2016 to redesign/update the landscape. Although the bones of the original design were still in place, over the years tenants added many new plants. There was a lot of plant variety, randomly placed without much thought for design. I ‘rearranged’ many of the existing plants, putting like with like, and added new plants – Agaves and other succu… - [San Jose](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/san-jose-pj-vj~3897212) - Location: San Jose, CA - Photos: 17 - Description: This home sits on two levels overlooking a park-like golf course studded with redwood, oak, and pine trees. In the long, narrow back yard the homeowners wanted to reclaim a section of their property that dropped down several feet to the golf course. A tall concrete retaining wall was built at the property edge and backfilled to create space for a custom spa and stone patio. The narrow deck off of the living room was replaced with a redwood deck that widens the space and mirrors the curve in the… - [Aptos](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/aptos-pj-vj~14616) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 23 - Description: This enclosed courtyard off the master bedroom includes a spa and built-in concrete seating around a gas fire pit. Raised beds planted with olive, succulents, grasses, and perennials serve to separate the spa and seating areas and provide a leafy privacy screen between the two. Surrounding the courtyard is a meadow of red fescue and ribbons of Japanese blood grass punctuated with olive trees. In the backyard a new wood deck with concrete raised beds and wide stairs leads to a Bocci Ball court, a… - [Menlo Park](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/menlo-park-pj-vj~6373579) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 26 - Description: The homeowners were ready for a complete garden renovation. The pool was no longer used much, the long and narrow back yard was dominated by a high and wide laurel hedge, and the koi pond in the entrance courtyard had long been empty. The pool was removed and replaced with a small stone patio, vegetable beds, and espaliered fruit trees. The laurel hedge in the back yard was pruned of its lower branches to become a row of multi-trunk small trees, allowing room for a new firepit and a covered gril… - [Santa Cruz III](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/santa-cruz-iii-pj-vj~14557) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 29 - Description: This project was part of an overall home renovation. The owners wanted the garden to be an extension of the colorful and highly personalized interior of their home. The patio accommodates outdoor dining and relaxing and provides a fun place for their young daughter and her friends to play - the artificial turf spiral wraps around a covered sandbox. At the back of the property another patio or recycled art glass was created next to a creek that runs year long. This garden was featured in the June… - [Santa Cruz IV](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/santa-cruz-iv-pj-vj~709915) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 14 - Description: This home is located in the Woods Cove development in Santa Cruz. Strict guidelines for landscaping strive to maintain the existing natural beauty and character of this heavily wooded community. Patios, walls, and other hardscape elements are required to have a low-profile and fences are split rail to allow for the unrestricted movement of wildlife. On this project, stone and decomposed granite were used for patios and walkways. The plant palette is largely native, consisting of oak, redwood, ma… - [Santa Cruz I](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/santa-cruz-i-pj-vj~14597) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 17 - Description: The entrance courtyard opens to a walled central courtyard between the garage and guest house, and the main house. The courtyard, paved with acid-washed concrete, provides ample room for small children to ride their trykes safely around a tiered fountain. It's planted with queen palms, olive, citrus, and lavender. Rows of grapes and fruit trees line one side. In the back yard a custom, tiled fountain and two-tier, rustic arbor obscure what was once an unsightly view of the back of a neighbor's s… - [Carmel-by-the-Sea](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/carmel-by-the-sea-pj-vj~2114996) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 20 - Description: Though much of the original planting in this classic Carmel cottage had overgrown the space, many of the plants were healthy, mature specimens. We were able to relocate most of them to other areas in the garden to allow for more open space in the front yard. New stone columns were added, and the existing low walls were extended at the entrance. Gravel widens the path to the front door, providing a warm, textured surface. New plants include olive, agaves and other succulents, grasses, and a varie… - [Santa Cruz II](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/santa-cruz-ii-pj-vj~14600) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 21 - Description: The home is situated on the corner of a high-traffic intersection. Having very little space in the back yard, the owners desired a private courtyard in their front yard to shield them from the street. They were able to reach an agreement with City Planning to enclose part of the front within walls, allowing us to design a colorful Mediterranean garden for the street and a private sanctuary for them. - [Scotts Valley](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/scotts-valley-pj-vj~14593) - Location: Scotts Valley, CA - Photos: 18 - Description: This small courtyard measures just 10 ft wide and 30 ft long. It features a large, custom fountain with hand-sculpted bowls. Vivid bougainvilla, climbing roses, black bamboo, and large, architectural succulents are planted in the raised planter along the fountain wall. The gate, designed and built by John Johnstone, is made of reclaimed lumber and hand-wrought hardware of reclaimed iron. This garden was featured in the February 2001 issue of Sunset Magazine when it was awarded a Sunset Western G… - [Palo Alto](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/palo-alto-pj-vj~56558) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 13 - Description: This beautiful home and garden has a casual, unpretentious elegance. Many of the elements for a great garden were already on site and, whenever possible, were reused. Strewn throughout the property were large granite blocks and odd stone columns which we relocated or rearranged. The original entrance was off to the side through the driveway. A new entrance from the street was created using grape stakes retrieved from other areas on site. A beautiful, but leaky, old fountain in the back courtyard… - [Salinas](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/salinas-pj-vj~6373643) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 20 - Description: This colorful home is a harmonious blend of interior and exterior spaces. The garden is designed to accommodate large gatherings and provides ample room for outdoor activities. Sinuous lavender-colored walls enclose the upper courtyard and terminate in a bubbling fountain under an oak tree. A rustic outdoor kitchen fills one corner, and a large iron firepit, designed by the homeowner, sits in the curve of the wall at one end. California native plants, colorful perennials, grasses, and succulents… - [Boulder Creek](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/boulder-creek-pj-vj~14655) - Location: Boulder Creek, CA - Photos: 10 - Description: The original garden consisted of a kidney-shaped pool surrounded by a low concrete wall. Railroad tie steps and a pressure-treated wood retaining wall led from the house to the pool. The clients wanted a somewhat more formal garden that would complement the mountain setting and wouldn't require redesigning the pool and pool deck. The existing low concrete wall was painted a soft sage green and capped with brick that matched the pool copping. Low, brick columns on each end and a clipped boxwood h… - [Redwood City](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/redwood-city-pj-vj~14680) - Location: Redwood City, CA - Photos: 5 - Description: This very small backyard on a canal consisted of a small concrete pad and a patch of struggling lawn. The owners wanted a more useable outdoor space in which to enjoy the canal and a place for their two young children to play safely. Stacked stone seat walls enclose the patio. A stone fire pit can be covered to double as a low table when not in use. A new arbor provides a shaded dining area. - [Westside Santa Cruz 2](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/westside-santa-cruz-2-pj-vj~585990) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 5 [See all 15 projects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-architects-and-landscape-designers/kathleen-shaeffer-design-exterior-spaces-pfvwus-pf~2013348503) ## Ideabooks - [George & John](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/185521446/list/george-john) — 2 ideas - [Bixel & Wright](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/185352596/list/bixel-wright) — 6 ideas - [Reed](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/184445942/list/reed) — 7 ideas - [Fire Hardening](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/182898850/list/fire-hardening) — 1 idea - [Lim](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/182898789/list/lim) — 8 ideas - [Gravel used as mulch](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/174058044/list/gravel-used-as-mulch) — 6 ideas - [Exterior: Arbors, Trellising, Etc.](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/163099944/list/exterior-arbors-trellising-etc) — 15 ideas - [Gravel & Decomposed Granite](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/52837714/list/gravel-decomposed-granite) — 56 ideas [See all 8 ideabooks](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/users/katmshaeffer) ## Community Q&A **Q: What is the tree in the foreground?** *(in Photo Questions)* Love the collection of plants here. Is that an olive tree? A: Yes, it's a dwarf olive (Olea europaea 'Little Ollie' ). It can also be used as a hedge. **Q: What type of bamboo are these?** *(in Photo Questions)* Is it a runner or clumper? A: It's Bambusa oldhamii, a clumping timber bamboo. **Q: Planter boxes** *(in Photo Questions)* Hi ~ How do you solve the drainage issues when placing a planter box directly onto a hard surface? A: The planters are not on concrete. **Q: Plant name?** *(in Photo Questions)* The juxtaposition between the colors and plant textures is strong yet soothing. Kindly share the name of the succulent in the left foreground. Thanks. A: It is Agave attenuate (foxtail agave). **Q: What is this plant with the orange/red? Very cool.** *(in Photo Questions)* A: It's an unusual Aloe with exceptionally long leaves. Unfortunately, it's the only one I've been able to find like it. I have another similar one, but it's leaves aren't quite this long. I'd love to find a source for this one! **Q: ?What is the material for the fence and how was it constructed** *(in Photo Questions)* A: The walls are poured concrete with an acid stain. --- *Source: Houzz professional profile. Reflects the profile as of 2026-08-14.*